NOTE: The Model Railway
Buildings Shown on this Website
Can Be Constructed for HO SCALE, OO GAUGE, or N SCALE Layouts

Can N Scale or HO Scale
Buildings Be Built From Foam
or Cardboard For Your Model Railroad?

The simple answer is YES! Foam,
corflute, and cardboard are great materials for making miniature railroad buildings
in OO gauge, HO scale or in N scale. The downloadable PDF building plans on this
website can be easily scaled to suit your needs.

For the purposes of this
article we’ll mainly focus on HO which is the biggest selling train scale worldwide
(although the OO is the top seller in the United Kingdom). N scale is the second
biggest seller in most countries where model trains are sold. To scale these plans
to HO you just need to adjust your printer settings to 87% as the plans are
currently in OO gauge. That is really easy to do.

Creating the perfect
environment for your railroad involves more than just building the track and
setting up the train. You will want to create the proper scenery around the track
to complete the effect. Today, that can be accomplished by using HO scale building
kits and HO scale structures which provide the proper environment and perspective
for your model railroad.

Of course, constructing the
environment that surrounds your railway is often more time consuming than building
the railroad itself. There are several means at your disposal to construct HO scale
buildings which will help complete the world that you are
creating.

What are Printable HO Scale Building
Kits?

Essentially, these are complete
kits that you download over the internet and print with your computer. You then put
them together using card or foam sheets. They provide the environment which
surrounds the railroad track. In most cases, this is usually a town, railroad
station or other structures that provide the proper setting for your model railroad
to operate. Based on real buildings, these printable photo-realistic kits are very
intricate and accurate in detail.

There are certainly advantages
when using HO scale building kits in creating your world. Some of them include the
following;

All in One: In one kit you will
get much of what you need to at least get a good start on building the environment
around your railroad. Many of the kits are similar in nature, such as combining a
railroad station and town setting to create a complete, realistic
city.

Interaction: You can purchase
more than one kit in order to create your own, unique world for your railroad. In
fact, many of those in the hobby will often purchase several kits or separate,
individual structures to re-create a specific location or perhaps one that they
have imagined. In any case, these HO scale building kits will often work well with
each other in creating the type of setting that you want.

Quality: Creating your own world requires
mixing and matching different types of buildings in order to create the right effect. However, the
overall quality of the models used will make all the difference, especially to visitors who see
your creation for the first time. These HO scale building kits offer good, solid quality that will
hold up over the years in presenting your creation while being easy to clean and
maintain.

Replacement: Some model towns last a lifetime
while others get replaced very quickly. For enthusiasts that enjoy having their work undergo urban
renewal from time to time, the ease of replacement that these particular models offer represents a
definite advantage, especially in terms of time. Plus, the older ones can be stored for another day
or to be used in other places.

HO Scale
Structures

Thanks to today’s technology, there is more
than one type of HO scale structures to be found for model railroad enthusiasts. In the old days,
these models were often created by hand using wooden pieces that were cut, assembled and painted to
represent a proper structure. Unfortunately, few people have the time, money or skill to pull off
this type of modeling.

However, we now have at least two different
forms of HO scale structures that are now available to be purchased. There are traditional scale
buildings created from plastic, much like what is used to create model cars and airplanes and a new
method of printing realistic, 3D type model fronts which can wrap around ordinary blocks or simple
structures that provide a marvelous effect.

Models: Full, plastic models are the
traditional form of structures that surround model railroad tracks. They provide a
three-dimensional effect that can be quite realistic after they have been painted and meticulously
airbrushed. Of course, traditional plastic models do not have the flexibility of creating the unit
yourself, which means that the only real flexibility lies in how you paint them. Plus, plastic
models have become more expensive over time which means more of an investment is
needed.

Low Relief Buildings: These low relief
buildings offer another dimension when it comes to adding the right perspective for the railroad.
Although they give the impression of being complete, fully created buildings, they are really
simple, three-sides structures that show off the front of the HO scale structure. While the
disadvantage may be that a very close inspection will reveal their two-dimensional nature, the fact
is that when properly viewing the model railroad track and its surroundings, they offer a wonderful
3D type effect at a price which is usually much lower than traditional plastic or wooden models.

HO Scale Model
Buildings

There are certainly many different types of HO
scale model buildings that are available which can help you create your own world. Here are just
some of the many different types of scale model buildings available.

Industrial: The typical industrial park is a
very common site around railroad tracks and can provide your railroad with a more realistic
environment. The Industrial pack includes a number of different industrial building fronts that
provide a proper look and feel, especially when combined with a proper railroad stations and
yard.

Warehouses: Warehouses are one of the most
common sights in all towns. The warehouses that are provided in these packs demonstrate the
different sizes and shapes that that typical warehouses can be found. Plus, they have the standard
muted colors and simple signage that is often associated with warehouses in all parts of the
country.

Shops: The shops demonstrated in these packs
are typical of small town America which is one of the most popular types of models or fronts that
are used in model railroads. The shops are very individualized using bright, bold colors to attract
attention as many of these shops are in their towns.

Of course, the wide variety that all of these
HO scale buildings bring is perhaps the most important part of their value. By providing high
quality, excellent design and great
versatility, an enthusiast can create and then re-create what they want simply and efficiently.
This is the hallmark of model railroad construction is having the ability to change and adapt when
you want. This is why HO scale building kits are some of the best investments that can be
made.